<p class="title">Sharing your weight loss journey on social media can improve the odds of successfully shedding the extra kilos, a study has found.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers examined the role of virtual communities and public commitment in setting and reaching weight loss goals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Our research finds that individuals are more likely to realise success with personal goals when they make a public commitment to attaining them," said Tonya Williams Bradford, assistant professor at University of California, Irvine in the US.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"By sharing success and setbacks in virtual support communities on social media, we found people are achieving better results," Bradford.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This works especially well with goals like weight loss, where before and after images can be shared online with other community members," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The research followed two weight loss groups, surgical and non-surgical, over a four-year period.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Members of both weight loss groups utilised virtual support communities, like ObesityHelp.com and WeightWatchers.com, as part of their programmes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Through our research we found public commitment, which is a declaration of a position, increases the likelihood of compliance to a course of action and is a key part of a successful weight loss plan," Bradford said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"When people seeking to lose weight join a virtual support community and share their plans online to attain their goals, they invite members to join them by offering encouragement in both words and actions," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This exchange of online support facilitates adherence to the offline goal of losing weight. Public accountability is key," he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The study, published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing, also found that virtual support communities offer a unique environment that allows members relative anonymity, accessibility, availability and flexibility in how they represent themselves on their journeys.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to Bradford, it is the process of building community, and the co-creation of related outcomes that helps in keeping participants motivated and accountable. </p>
<p class="title">Sharing your weight loss journey on social media can improve the odds of successfully shedding the extra kilos, a study has found.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers examined the role of virtual communities and public commitment in setting and reaching weight loss goals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Our research finds that individuals are more likely to realise success with personal goals when they make a public commitment to attaining them," said Tonya Williams Bradford, assistant professor at University of California, Irvine in the US.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"By sharing success and setbacks in virtual support communities on social media, we found people are achieving better results," Bradford.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This works especially well with goals like weight loss, where before and after images can be shared online with other community members," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The research followed two weight loss groups, surgical and non-surgical, over a four-year period.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Members of both weight loss groups utilised virtual support communities, like ObesityHelp.com and WeightWatchers.com, as part of their programmes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Through our research we found public commitment, which is a declaration of a position, increases the likelihood of compliance to a course of action and is a key part of a successful weight loss plan," Bradford said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"When people seeking to lose weight join a virtual support community and share their plans online to attain their goals, they invite members to join them by offering encouragement in both words and actions," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This exchange of online support facilitates adherence to the offline goal of losing weight. Public accountability is key," he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The study, published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing, also found that virtual support communities offer a unique environment that allows members relative anonymity, accessibility, availability and flexibility in how they represent themselves on their journeys.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to Bradford, it is the process of building community, and the co-creation of related outcomes that helps in keeping participants motivated and accountable. </p>